Welcome to Search With Sean: Weekly Digital Marketing News, your go-to roundup of the biggest stories shaping SEO, AI, search, digital PR, paid media, and digital strategy.

Co-Hosts:Amanda Walls – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajwalls/

Stanislav Farkas – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanislav-farkas-fastraveller/

Christian Goodrich – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cargoodrich/

In this week’s episode, we explore a mix of updates and discussions, including AI-driven traffic trends, chat GPT ad rollouts, brand loyalty in a digital-first world, and emerging tools for marketers.

Top Stories 📰

We discuss the Visibility Labs study showing that chat GPT–sourced e-commerce traffic converted 31% higher than standard non-branded organic search, though attribution via GA4 may underreport AI’s real influence on user journeys.

The rollout of chat GPT ads raises questions: early experiments show costs up to three times higher than Meta, with limited reporting metrics, highlighting challenges for SMEs and marketers navigating new AI-driven paid media channels.

MoneySupermarket launches a UK-first AI-driven app, integrating comparison services like insurance and broadband directly into chat GPT, with a shift toward loyalty and membership-led growth.

The Guardian and other publishers are forming coalitions to protect original content and combat AI-driven content aggregation, emphasizing the growing impact of AI on publishing.

Top Videos 🎥

PPC Live 19: Amanda highlights practical PPC strategies, including performance max scripts, lead generation approaches, and collaboration opportunities between SEO and paid media teams.

Whisper Flow: Stan covers this AI-powered dictation app, now launching on Android, demonstrating the growing role of voice-enabled tools in productivity and content creation.

Claude Code for SEO: Christian shares how small businesses can rapidly build SEO-optimized websites using AI tools, opening opportunities for non-developers to scale marketing initiatives efficiently.

Top Social Posts 📲

Customer loyalty spotlight: Steven Adams shares a story illustrating the business impact of proactive and frictionless customer support, highlighting that retention can outweigh acquisition costs.

Profound Series C raise: Stan notes Profound’s $97M Series C at a $1B valuation, showcasing rapid growth in AI visibility platforms and the evolving ecosystem for AI-powered marketing tools.

Lily Ray calls out Google: Christian highlights issues with AI overviews showing answers without citations, underscoring the importance of transparency and publisher recognition in AI-driven search results.